Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-20
COMMERCIAL DEPRAVITY.
Some Wisdom Talk for Pareats-Teach the
Boyss st Home.

| Inc Epoch.
To the thoughtful student of our mod
ern business life, as well IS to the practi.
Cal philosopher, the frequency of cases o.
embezzlement, breach Of trust, defalca.
| ton and kindred other crimes is startling
very large maj ority of the office boys
ID the business houses OF this country
enter upon their career between the ages
OF fourteen and seventeen years. These
positions are generally obtained by
| watching the "Want" columns of the
newspapers and answering the advertise
ments therein. Usually the applicant is
required to live with his parents and to
"come well recommended"
But, did it ever occur to you that this
is very one-sided affair? II your boy
can furnish the highest credentials of his
character and fitness for the position,
why, pray, would it be so very absurd to
ask the merchant who is to employ him
To produce his certificate of character,
also?
Herein lies one great secret of the
cause of fraud and defalcation in the
business community, namely: The dis
honesty OF employers. In starting your
son upon his career, do you not consider
1t matter of transcendent importance
that his employer should be, first of ali,
an honest man? And yet, how many Of
you take the trouble to inquire into this
matter at ell. or even to accompany your
sons upon the occasion Of their first in
terview with the employer?
firmly believe that more than one half
of the defalcations and breaches of trust
among clerks are caused by the silent
teachings Of dishonest merchants. l do
not mean to excuse the clerks who per-
NIT them selves to be influenced by such
teachings, but / wish to put the first
blame where 1t belongs, and, in melting
out punishment 20 the offenders, ideal
justice would consign them both to the
penitentiary.
Some time ago case like this occurred:
A clerk was instructed by his employer
to render an account Of sales for goods
sold on commission at q price less than
that at which they had actually been sold.
With rare courage, he refused to do it,
and consulted certain millionaire as to
what was his duty under the circum-
stances.
Mark the results, as an evidence Of the
present low business morals: The mil
lionaire told him he WAS wrong, and that
he should not criticise the morals of his
employer, but obey orders Fortunately,
in this instance, the young mans CON
science was stronger than his fear of
milllonaire's disapprobation, and he gave
up his position. The employers COM
ment was that che was too good for this
world"
Many similar things initiate against
the moral growth of the young clerk
Everybody must deplore the morality
that permits false weights and false prices;
that puts a "three-pound" label on .
forty-two pound package; that sells 30
per cent. of spoiled -four, and worse than
spoiled buckwheat as squire" mustard
and "pure" pepper; that laughs at the
sharp trick of false weights inserted in
bills Of lading to defraud the railroad and
steamship companies; that applauds the
successful bribery OF custom house ex
aminer OF dutisble goods; that chuckles
at the clever imitation Of competitors
trademark; that twists and turns and pre-
varicates to avoid the payment of taxes
j1stly due the commonwealth tor its
blessings OF liberty aud protection; that
does, in word. everything that is mean
and low and degrading, and nothing that
ls fair and true and just. l say
morality of this sort is not the atmos-
phere in which to bring up youth.
Should he survive it all and come out
pure and true, it will be because he has
within Lin the mettle of true man, and
not because Of his surroundings.
Parents must, therefore, exercise great
er care in launching their sons upon the
tempestuous sea of business life, or
shoulder the blame for the consequent
shipWreck.